Lilia Vu Reacts To Ally Ewing Shock Retirement

Lilia Vu during the Sunday singles of the Solheim Cup

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 26 September 2024

Lilia Vu said that she burst into tears as soon as she heard about Solheim Cup teammate Ally Ewing's shock retirement.

Ewing surprised everyone when she announced her retirement from the professional game aged just 31 and on the back of that huge Solheim Cup success.

In a social media post, Ewing says that this season will be her last on the LPGA - following a career containing three wins on tour since turning pro in 2015.

Much of the shock comes from the form Ewing has shown this year, getting into the Solheim Cup team after three top 10s in the 2024 Majors.

And the news hit hard among her teammates from Stacy Lewis' Team USA side, with Lilia Vu saying that she was in tears immediately.

"Instant tears. I mean, I wasn't expecting it," Vu said of her response to Ewing's retirement post.

"I saw it on social media this morning. Obviously not trying to make it about me, but I just got so emotional. Then I hugged her today and was just bawling my eyes out. It's something you wouldn't expect.

"She's had such a great year, and I would love to spend more years out here with her. I'm very proud of her. She's like the best person to be around."

Ally Ewing takes a shot at the Solheim Cup — Ally Ewing will retire at the end of the season

Vu's emotions were still running high from the Solheim Cup after she captured the vital half a point at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club that sealed Team USA's victory.

"It was just surreal," Vu said of the winning moment. "I didn't think that it would come down to me for some reason; I didn't want it to. I think it's just like a lot of pressure.

"But it is what it is, and I just remember the feeling of being on 18 and looking at the leaderboard and knowing that if I walk away with a half point we win this whole thing.

"Yeah, I've always dreamed of being on a winning US Solheim Cup team. I have a picture on my wall at home of the 2017 team that won."

Ewing's decision to walk away from the professional game at the end of the year follows a similar move from another US Solheim Cup star, Lexi Thompson, who announced in May that she would retire at the end of the season.

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Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.

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